A Bridge to St Lucia Peter Brown St Lucia History Group Paper 20 ST LUCIA HISTORY GROUP ST LUCIA HISTORY GROUP RESEARCH PAPER 20. A BRIDGE TO ST LUCIA Author: Peter Brown © 2017 An abridged edition of this Paper was distributed under the same title as part of the celebrations for the opening of the Eleanor Schonell Bridge in December 2006. Contents: Page 1. 1880s Land Developer Proposals for a Bridge 1 2. 1926 The Cross-River Commission 6 3. 1925 University Proponents Anticipate a Bridge 6 4. 1940 Construction commences 10 5. 1950s A Growing Suburb Adds to the Need 14 6. 2006 The Eleanor Schonell Bridge. 15 7. University Orientation towards the Bridge. 17 Peter Brown 2017 Private Study Paper – not for general publication St Lucia History Group PO Box 4343 St Lucia South QLD 4067 Email:
[email protected] Web: brisbanehistorywest.wordpress.com PGB/History/Papers/20Bridge Page 1 of 17 Printed 13 October 2017 ST LUCIA HISTORY GROUP 1. 1880s LAND DEVELOPER PROPOSALS FOR A BRIDGE From convict times through free settlement in 1842 and the first years of the development of Brisbane, row-boat ferries were the only means of crossing the river. Even today cross-river ferries play a leading role in getting residents across a wide and fast flowing river. The first bridge over any part of the Brisbane River was a (primarily) wooden one opened in 1865 to carry pedestrians and carts between South and North Brisbane, approximately where the Victoria Bridge is today.1 Made of Stringy Bark it survived termite attacks for only two years, and then it was back to the ferries.